UK train company LNER is conducting a proof-of-concept trial that enables people to stream thousands of shows from ITV Hub – without eating into personal data or the train’s Wi-Fi bandwidth.
The edgecasting trial service is underway on three of the company’s electric Azuma trains running between London King’s Cross and Edinburgh.
LNER is working with tech company Netskrt Systems to trial the technology, enabling viewers to watch more than 6,000 episodes from ITV Hub.
The trial is powered by the Netskrt edge Content Delivery Network (eCDN), which combines cloud-based machine learning with network-aware edge caching, storing on-demand content on-board LNER’s Azuma trains.
Shows upload while the trains are on-the-move, meaning that the catalogue is constantly updated and passengers have access to the latest content. Content is available to watch as soon as it’s published on ITV Hub.
Danny Gonzalez, chief digital and innovation officer at LNER, said: “Edgecasting will dramatically improve onboard entertainment for our customers – critically, without eating into the Wi-Fi bandwidth of our business customers. We hope this first-of-its-kind trial lays the foundations for the technology to be adopted across all UK rail operators in the future to enhance customers’ experiences.”
